Quick Links

and heavier, part of the reason the midlevel saws averaged almost 10 lb. more than the entry-level saws. The Powermatic in the midlevel group is one of the few saws with a lightweight extruded-aluminum table. Powermatic's table also sports an extension wing that slides out on steel dowels. But I was disappointed in the flexibility of the extension wing, especially when it was asked to support a heavy board during a cut. The Makita and Hitachi tabletops are made of thick die-cast aluminum. A Makita rep told me that they drop their saws from 12 ft. to test durability. Even with Makita's heavier table, its maximum rip capacity of 12'/. in. is the smallest of the midlevel saws. Hitachi has the largest rip at 14'/. in. HIGH-END TABLE SYSTEMS ARE IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES The extension table/fence systems on highend saws give them almost the same abilities as industrial shop equipment. Not only are the tabletops, extension wings and extension rails on these saws larger and built with heavier grades of aluminum, but each of the high-end saws has a unique table system that allows rips greater than 24 in. The DeWalt fence locks onto front and back extension rails. Instead of a fence sliding along a rail, though, a knob operates a rack-and-pinion gear that dials in the exact rip. As the rails are extended out, the gears keep the fence in precise alignment (bottom photo). With the Bosch and Ridgid saws, a section of the saw table actually unlocks and slides out on rails to increase each tool's rip capacity. Bosch's lock is under the front edge of the table, while the release lever for Ridgid's extension table is built into the tabletop (top photo). These table systems keep the fence lined up perfectly with the blade, and the systems for setting the rip capacity are highly accurate on all the high-end saws. Miter gauges for crosscutting Table saws are used more for ripping than for crosscutting, so manufacturers don't seem to give attention to miter gauges. But they're an integral part of a tool's use. The two main factors I looked at in miter gauges were the size of the bar that rides in the slot on the table-saw top and whether the miter gauge has stops for setting the fence to 90° and 45°. The industry standard for a miter-gauge bar is '/. in. wide by '/. in. deep. Not only does a bar this size offer confident purchase of the miter gauge in the slot while pushing material through the blade, but the corresponding slot accepts stan- dard shop accessories such as hold-downs and featherboards. All top-end saws have standard-size miter gauges, but of the other saws, only the Delta Sidekick is equipped with a standard-size miter gauge (photo facing page). The remainder of the entry-level and midlevel saws have small, light-duty miter gauges. Of the entry-level saws, the Delta is the only miter gauge with stops. The Powermatic and Delta Sidekick have the angle stops in the midlevel, and all the miter gauges with the highend saws come with stops. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2000 65 A lever releases the extension table. The fence on the Ridgid saw can slide independently on its rails, or it can lock onto an extension table that is released with a lever built into the tabletop. Rack-and-pinion precision. DeWalt's extension-rail system uses front and rear gears that let the operator dial in the proper rip while keeping the fence in perfect alignment.